


A Very Busy Evening

by fezwearingjellybananas



Series: Barry Allen Week 2019 [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: S04E09 Don't Run, Fake Marriage, Gen, Osgood Rathaway shows up and is a bigot so I think that might need a warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21548371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fezwearingjellybananas/pseuds/fezwearingjellybananas
Summary: "There is a way I can access the accounts entirely within the law, get ten percent of Rathaway Industries, and really piss my parents off," Hartley said."There is?" Barry asked."Yeah, I get married."Perhaps they should have thought this plan through slightly more.
Series: Barry Allen Week 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552891
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	A Very Busy Evening

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Barry Allen Week November 2019 Day 1: Undercover
> 
> I did have a little trouble coming up with an idea for this one, so it's mostly nonsense (my favourite thing to write), and it is mostly gen but I guess you could also read it as pre Barry/Hartley considering how this trope usually ends up if you wanted

“I think my parents might be involved with Blacksmith,” Hartley said. Barry put his book down and looked at his roommate. “She’s getting meta dampening tech from somewhere. And it’s sophisticated. The one she used on Caitlin earlier looked like S.T.A.R. tech.”

“And it’s not Mercury,” Barry said and signed. “Tina would know. That leaves Kord and Stagg too.”

“Maybe. If I can look at their accounts, I can see.”

“I know I’m suspended, but I feel I probably shouldn’t be involved in you hacking your parents’ company? I’ll wait for you outside. We are supposed to be at Joe’s in an hour.”

“I don’t need to. There is a way I can access them entirely within the law, get ten percent of the company out of their hands, and really piss them off.”

“There is?”

“Yeah, I get married.”

“You lost me.”

“When my grandfather died, he left me ten percent of Rathaway Industries, to be held in trust by my parents until I get married. My parents left it in assuming I’d either have to do what they called ‘coming to my senses’ and marry a woman, or I’d never claim it. And I haven’t wanted to claim it and involve myself with them again. But Grandfather might not have approved, hence the clause, but neither did he specify a gender. His will only refers to my spouse, not my wife.”

“So, you can show up with a husband and it’ll still be within that clause.”

“Exactly.”

Hartley looked at him.

“Ray’s single?” Barry offered. “And he’s really nice, and really handsome, and I bet he’d be a really good husband, and he’s sweet, and he’d understand the business words, and-”

“And we’re going to gloss over your crush on Ray Palmer and point out I don’t have to be in a relationship, I just have to get married to someone my parents will assume I’ve been in a relationship with like, say, the person I have lived with for over two years?”

“Oh. Yeah, okay, I know nothing about business but I’m free this weekend.”

“Amunet Black kidnapped Caitlin earlier. She’s actively kidnapping more metahumans, probably as we speak, and you, Cisco, Wally, and Ralph are all metahumans she’d probably love to get her hands on.”

“Oh. Yeah, screw it, we’ve got another hour before we have to get to Joe’s.”

“And we can get a divorce once this is done.”

“Great. I’ll run us to a registry office.”

“Please put a suit on first.”

* * *

A car was waiting when he and Hartley left the office after signing the paperwork, hand in hand.

“Good evening, Mister Rathaway, and may I offer my congratulations? My name is Peter Farley, I’m the lawyer representing the stockholders of Rathaway Industries.”

“That was scarily quick,” Barry said. “Hey, Hart, I think you’re being spied on.”

“I must have accidentally sent a text to a wrong number while we were looking for some witnesses to get here quickly,” Hartley said. Barry got the hint this time. He had intentionally sent an accidental text and Barry had forgotten to maybe try texting Iris first. “What can I do for you, Mister Farley?”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the clause in your grandfather’s will which grants you ten percent of Rathaway Industries upon your marriage.”

“I didn’t even think of that.”

“I will need you to come to Rathaway Industries to sign some paperwork. Unless you would rather wait until after your honeymoon?”

“We haven’t planned on one yet, so if Barry doesn’t mind, we can go now and organise that later.”

“Yeah, I’ll just tell Joe we’re running late,” Barry said. He pulled out his phone, sent Joe a quick text, then climbed into the car after Hartley.

* * *

Rathaway Industries was huge, but Barry was also used to S.T.A.R. Labs, so it wasn’t that big.

Mister Farley took them up the stairs and Barry pulled his book out again while Hartley went through paperwork. He switched his phone onto silent while they were finishing it off.

Apparently getting company accounts really were that easy, because Mister Farley was going to get them just because Hartley asked.

“Sorry this is taking a while,” Hartley said.

“I’m always late anyway,” Barry shrugged. “I thought the accounts would take a lot more subterfuge and undercover work from us both.”

“I’m a shareholder, I’m entitled to them.”

Osgood Rathaway stormed in with Mister Farley. Barry recognised him from that robbery of Snart and Rory’s.

“What do you think you’re doing here?”

Barry didn’t miss Hartley’s flinch either.

“As I was explaining, Mister Rathaway, your son fulfilled the clause left in your father’s will-”

“Where’s his spouse then?”

“Right here.” Barry put his book down, stood up, and offered Osgood a hand with what he hoped was a very clearly fake smile. Osgood didn’t take it. “Mister Rathaway, I can’t say my darling Hart’s told me much about you, but I’m sure it’s all I need to know.”

“What is the meaning of this, Hartley?”

“Father, this is my husband, Barry Allen,” Hartley said.

“Your husband.”

“We signed the certificate earlier,” Barry said. “Would you like to see it?”

“He was supposed to marry a woman.”

“I’m afraid he’s already signed the paperwork, Mister Rathaway,” Mister Farley said. “And they are legal documents. As of fifteen minutes ago, Hartley Rathaway holds ten percent of Rathaway Industries.”

“This is a trick,” Osgood said. “You don’t even like him, do you?”

“We’ve lived together for over two years,” Barry said. “We might have not got off on the best foot, but he saved my father’s life during Zoom’s attack on Central, and I’ve been smitten ever since. He’s wonderful, and clever, and maybe he can be blunt and stubborn and hold a grudge, but no one is without flaws, and I love your son in his entirety. In fact, I’ll make you a bet. If we’re not still together in five years, barring through death, you can say it was a trick and do whatever law stuff needs doing.”

“Five years.” Osgood offered his hand and Barry shook it. “Hartley.”

“Don’t worry, Father, I think we’re done here,” Hartley sneered. “I’ll see you at the next shareholders meeting.”

Hartley offered Barry his arm and they walked off.

“Five years,” Hartley signed.

“That’s when the newspaper says I die,” Barry signed. “So we won’t even need to get divorced and it’ll look even more believable.”

“Five years, Bartholomew.”

“Oh dear. I did not think that through. I should call my dad.”

Barry pulled out his phone. Several missed calls from his dad, Joe, Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, Wally, Eddie, Cecile, and one unknown number? That was weird. Someone had even left him a voicemail. Probably Joe.

Several police cars were surrounding the outside of the building.

“Don’t move, Allen,” Captain Singh said. Barry raised his hands and Captain Singh pulled them behind his back. “Barry Allen, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Clifford DeVoe.”

“What?” Barry asked.

* * *

It wasn’t the first time Barry had been in an interview room. He might not conduct interviews as a C.S.I., but he had been interviewed several times after his mother’s death.

It was the first time he’d been handcuffed to the table and treated as the criminal though.

“I would like a lawyer present, please,” Barry said to Detective Patterson.

“Just tell me what happened, Allen, we’ll get all this cleared up.”

“Not until there is a lawyer sitting next to me.”

Patterson stood up and left. Barry could easily phase out of the handcuffs. His shoulders were still bruised from where DeVoe had kidnapped him earlier, and they were very uncomfortable right now. But he hadn’t actually done anything and running away might make it look like he had. At the least it would expose him as the Flash.

Patterson came back with Captain Singh and Cecile. Barry smiled at her and waved as much as the handcuffs would allow.

“Captain, you know my client, this isn’t something he’s capable of,” Cecile said.

“Also, I think maybe I.A. should handle this, or maybe someone from Keystone?” Barry said. “Working here might cause some bias.”

“Barry.” Captain Singh sat down next to Patterson, and Cecile sat next to Barry. “You acknowledge Professor Clifford DeVoe took out a restraining order after making a complaint against you.”

“Yes,” Barry said. “Which makes me your prime suspect?”

“He was found at your apartment, Allen,” Patterson said. “Your fingerprints were on the knife, your DNA was everywhere.”

“I live there, of course my DNA is there. Do you have a picture of the knife?”

Captain Singh put down some photographs on the table. Clifford DeVoe’s body was in his living room.

“Oh dear,” Barry said. “Um. I do recognise the knife though, that’s my nice kitchen knife Iris got me for my birthday a couple of years ago. It’s very good at chopping vegetables, I think she was trying to tell me to eat healthier food. Which I have been doing so it worked. Which is why my fingerprints are on it, you’ll probably find Hartley’s too.”

“Professor Marlize DeVoe called us to say her husband had gone to yours to attempt some Christmas reconciliation,” Captain Singh said. “She reported her husband missing when he didn’t come home.”

“I don’t know about that,” Barry said. “I don’t know why he’s there. But look at that picture, Captain, that looks a lot like my mother’s case. In the front room, kitchen knife in the chest? And I know about forensics, I know all the evidence you’d look for, why would I stab someone in my front room and leave evidence everywhere?”

“Barry,” Cecile said. “Maybe your defence shouldn’t be ‘it can’t have been me because I’d do a way better job of cleaning up after myself’?”

“I would like to reiterate I’m not a murderer,” Barry said. “And instead point out Hartley and I live on the second floor and there’s only stairs to get up right now because the lift is broken, so how would a man in a wheelchair get up to my apartment without considerable help? Also, I haven’t even been there most of the evening. Do you have an estimated time of death yet?”

“Between eight thirty and nine thirty,” Captain Singh said.

“Great, I have an alibi, Hartley and I left at eight fifteen to go to Joe’s via the registry office around the corner, and then because we got married we got picked up by a lawyer named Peter Farley so Hartley go could sign some paperwork because he inherited ten percent of Rathaway Industries from his grandfather as soon as he got married.”

“You got married,” Captain Singh said.

“Yes, and I bet Osgood Rathaway we’d stay married for the next five years unless one of us dies because he was being a bigot and very mean to Hartley.”

“You did what?” Cecile asked.

“In my defence, it seemed like a good idea two hours ago, and it does mean I couldn’t have killed Clifford DeVoe because I was busy. I told Joe I’d be late.”

“You didn’t tell Joe you’d be late because you were getting married, Barry.”

“I di.... d not. I did not.”

“Patterson, go ask Mister Rathaway to confirm his alibi.” Captain Singh said. He unlocked Barry’s hands and Barry rubbed his wrists. “You got married.”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations.”

“It checks out, sir,” Patterson said.

“All right, you’re free to go,” Captain Singh said. Barry and Cecile stood up. “Barry.”

“I know, sir,” Barry said. “Can I have my phone back down here? I have a voicemail and I want to know how much Joe is going to yell at me first.”

“For getting married without telling him?”

“Yes.”

Captain Singh rolled his eyes, but he went out then came back with Barry’s phone.

That was not Joe’s voice.

“Um,” Barry said. He put it on speaker and hit play again.

“I do hope you get this soon, Mister Allen,” someone said. “Like my new voice? This body is much healthier than my own. There’s a gift for you at your apartment. Enjoy it. Merry Christmas.”

The message ended.

“I think that’s probably very relevant,” Barry said.

“That’s Dominic Lanse,” Cecile said. “Caitlin Snow met him earlier, he’s upstairs with her now.”

Captain Singh and Patterson rushed out.

“This is a really weird day,” Barry said.

“Come on,” Cecile said. “Time to explain to Henry and Joe what you spent the first part of the evening doing.”

* * *

Barry’s dad and Joe were both waiting in Captain Singh’s office, along with Hartley, Iris, Eddie, Wally, Cisco, Caitlin, and Ralph. Captain Singh and Patterson were taking a tall man in metacuffs downstairs.

“I think this is the first time you’ve been late because you got arrested, Bare,” Iris said.

“Yes,” Barry said. “Actually, I was late because Hartley and I got married.”

“You did what?” Barry’s dad asked.

“Hartley thought his parents might be involved with Amunet Black so we’re going on a super secret undercover mission to find evidence.”

“I told you, I own ten percent of the company now, we don’t need to go undercover to get the accounts,” Hartley said. “I already have the accounts and they seem fine, so it’s not them. We could have gone and got divorced right now, but someone decided to bet my father we’d last at least five years.”

“He was being very rude to you, would you have rather I punch him in the face?”

“Yes!”

“You two got married?” Cisco asked.

“And you didn’t invite us?” Iris asked.

Barry looked at his dad and Joe and waited.

They both laughed.

“I don’t know whether I should relax or be insulted,” Barry said.

“Only you could have dug yourself into this hole,” Joe said. He clapped Barry on the shoulder. “Guess we’ve got more than just a Christmas party on our hands, Henry.”

“Come on, Slugger,” Barry’s dad said. “Let’s get you two home. Any honeymoon ideas, Hartley?”

“I should have stuck to crime,” Hartley said.


End file.
